Plymouth Area News for the week of February 26th, 2017 by Joyce Steiner

If you do not read the Quincy paper, you missed a news article this week and there could be a similar profound effect on Plymouth.  It was the story of the Hancock County Historic Preservation Association and the old Carthage jail.  In 1987 the county deeded the jail to the society.  The society made big plans to restore the old jail which is the oldest building on the Carthage Square so it was very important to save the building.  I belonged to this group for many years as after the jail project was completed, the salt box house in Plymouth was to be the next project.  Eventually I gave up my membership in the group.  To restore and old building is expensive.  Eventually a use for that building must be found and at some point, it must become self supporting.  There were many ideas put forward for uses for the old jail, including a B&B, who would not want to sleep in a building with a 100 year history of being used as a jail!  It could have been a visitor’s center or so many more things.  However it never became any of those things and it never became self supporting.  The society finally ran out of money and this week it tried to give the deed to the old jail back to the county board.  They did not accept the deed.  The board is worried about the maintenance costs of accepting the ownership of the building.  If they do not accept the deed, the likely outcome is a building that no one takes ownership of and that the building will just be left to eventually rot down.
We have a similar situation here in Plymouth.  The Plymouth Business Association took possession of the large brick building on the east side of the Plymouth Square which at one time housed Ellen’s, a popular restaurant.  There were  plans to restore the building.  Eventually those who took possession of the building, I was not a part of that group, died, moved on or lost interest.  As I was treasurer of the Plymouth Business Association at the time of its last meetings, I was left to help keep the  building going and paying the bills.  The Plymouth Business Association ran completely out of funds quite a while ago.  A use must be found for the building.  It must become self supporting.  A Community Center is no longer the answer.  Plymouth cannot support three centers.  The former Methodist Church is a great facility as is the Legion building.  There could be many uses for the Plymouth Business Association’s community center.  It would make a great retail space, it could be made into apartments, it could house a restaurant, a hair saloon, a church, a school, an antique and craft mall, a fitness center and much more or a combination of two or more of these.  Dreams are necessary for survival but eventually dreams must also find a reality and the reality is that it costs approximately $400 each month that the community center is open.  Repairs to the roof, putting in the replacement windows and keeping up maintenance on the building are not included in the $400 figure.  If anyone has any ideas or dreams for the building, please come and talk to me at Plymouth Rock Antiques.  I am normally there 6 days a week.
Remember that the West Point Fire Department soup supper and silent auction is this Saturday from 5-7 pm at the Sullivan and Son Auction and Event Center.  There will be a variety of soups, sandwiches, drinks and desserts available for a free will donation.
The Plymouth Women’s Circle chicken and noodle dinner will be on March 17th from 4:30-7 pm at the PCCC.  More details later.
My spring flowers are coming up!  Geese are flying north-can spring be far behind.
I would like to thank Mr. Twaddle for the squirrel feeder which he brought to me at the store.  Also thank you to the person who bought my lunch at  KD’s Coop Sunday!  Both were appreciated.  Continue to Scatter Kindness and to pray for your neighbors remembering that all people are your “neighbors”.
Posted in Plymouth News